1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an assembly to prevent or at least indicate unauthorized tampering or more specifically, disconnection of the odometer cable from the transmission system of an automobile or like vehicle for purposes of misrepresenting actual mileage on the engine of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An instrument found virtually in all automobiles, trucks or like vehicles is the odometer indicating the amount of mileage traveled by the vehicle. The mileage indicates generally the length of time of operation of the various component parts of the automobile, particularly the engine. With those interested in misrepresenting the extent of use of an automobile, it is fairly common practice to attempt to disconnect the odometer cable from the transmission system of the automobile. Once disconnected, the vehicle can then travel literally thousands of miles without such "mileage" being registered on the odometer. While in many states such tampering is illegal since the indicated mileage is a general representation as to the amount of use to which the automobile has been subjected, such tampering through disconnection of the cable, is in fact still done by the unscrupulous.
Based on the above set forth problem, numerous attempts have been made in the prior art to discourage or prevent such disconnection or otherwise tampering, or at least provide some clear indication as to when such tampering has taken place. For example, the following U.S. patents are generally representative of devices existing in the prior art which attempt to provide a tamper proof odometer or alternately, provide some indication as to when tampering has occurred. The patent to Bergsma et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,539,783, discloses a tamper proving odometer construction in which the peripheral surface of at least the highest odometer wheel is indelibly marked or stained by a marking instrumentality as the wheel is advanced past the viewing window. Therefore a "resetting" of the odometer is prevented or at least clearly indicated.
Hachtel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,671, discloses an anti-reverse odometer one-way drive which prevents positioning or resetting of the odometer by positioning of the various wheels thereof in a reverse direction.
The U.S. patents to Reagan, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,785,551, and 4,267,438, both are directed to tamper proof odometer having digit wheels mounted for rotation about a shaft. The structural features of the odometer in one patent (551) discloses the odometer wheels being driven on gears mounted on gear carrier plates with the plates separating adjacent wheels. The shaft is non-circular permitting rotation of the wheels but not the carrier plates. In the other of the above-noted patents (438), the shaft is grooved and the end caps are fixedly attached to the shaft end so that the shaft will break if any attempt is made to remove the caps by drilling, sawing, etc.
Woodward, U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,882, discloses a tamper resistible odometer including a construction wherein manually attempt to reverse the number settings thereon by separating the pinion gear engagement with numbered wheel gears results in a fractured pinion gear and permanently disengages the pinion gears from the numbered wheel gears.
All of the above-noted structures disclosed in the aforementioned patents are directed to structural components which prevent or make quite apparent the actual manipulation of the number wheels. However, it is well known to prevent mileage from being registered onto an automobile to disconnect the odometer cable from its driving engagement through any type of mounting adaptor directly to the transmission.
Therefore, there is a recognized need in the industry for some type of protective device preferably used in association with a tamper indicator such that any attempted disconnection or exposure, even when authorized, of the connection between the odometer cable and the transmission will be clearly indicated. Any potential buyer will thereby be able to ensure that the mileage on a given vehicle is accurate, at least to the extent that the odometer cable has not been previously disconnected without being apparent.